Rev. 2:1~5 To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name?s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place??unless you repent.

This is the first of seven letters written to the Churches. In this letter we read that Christ commends the Church of Ephesus on a number of things; then we see that He ends this letter with the fact that they left their 'First Love'. When the 'First Love' dies we become nothing more than a works based faith, we put our trust into what we are doing for Christ and move away from that intimate relationship with Him. How do we know when this 'Fist Love' is dying? When that 'First Love' is alive we have intense love for the being at the Church, spending time with fellow believers and being involved in activities with them. There is a manifestation of cheer and joy about you, a desire for obedience and turning from sin. There will be a desire to serve Christ, and to tell others about salvation with a thirst of saving souls. You will love your enemies as your friends, you will desire to turn from worldly passions and toward Godly passions and desires.

Do you have an intense interest in the conversion of sinners, of helping lost sinners find Jesus? Do you remember a time when you had these desires and are now gone? This is what happened to the Church of Ephesus.

Christ gave a stern warning when He said "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place??unless you repent."

His warning first was to "remember"; think back to what it was like when you were in a deep intimate love relationship with Christ. Next He said to "repent"; yes repent of where you are now and do what is required of you to rekindle this old love and do the first works where service is a duty and not from love to God; that is the things you are doing now out of duty, instead of out of a desire of love and want. When the heart grows cold and love is gone you will see that he will be more interested in worldly pleasures and political meetings, as too assembling with the saints, times of prayer, communion with fellow believers, and time in the word of God. A young woman will lean toward conforming to worldy lusts of extravagent jewelry, costly attire and fashions that flaunt the body and appeal to the opposite sex.

Christ continues with the warning by saying that if this does not soon happen he will remove the lampstand from its place. In other words He will no longer be working amonst you because you have literally removed Him from yourself and before long you will return to the world with its pleasures and longer be of any use to Christ, rather putting Him to shame.

Heed the warning and put the fire back into your love life with Christ.